Pinched Sciatic Nerve and trying to get pregnant

[Moondance]

Over the course of 2010/2011, I had a few minor bouts with pinched sciatic nerve where it would last a few weeks and then go away. It was never too bad and I tended to just ignore it as best I could.

Well, starting in December, I started getting pinched sciatic nerve again. I waited until mid-January for it to go away and it didn't. I went to see my doctor and he pretty much refused to acknowldge it, told me to take Nurofen.

So I changed doctors. It took me until Mid February to get in my first appointment with another doctor, VJ, but he took my pain seriously, did something called a Slouch test with me, then sent me for spinal xrays and ultrasounds.
Came back with a textbook disgnosis of pinched sciatic nerve.
He gave me drugs called Celebrex (Celecoxib) and Lyrica (Pregabalin). Taking one dose of Celebrex in the AM and Lyrica in the middle of the day and at night.
That was all fine and dandy until I found out that both Celebrex and Lyrica are not recommended for people trying to get pregnant.

Once finding this out, I have been trying to go without it, and while I'm in massive amounts of discomfort, I've done my best to stay away.
That is until this past Monday.
I had been out to Pony Club on Sunday, as I'm our Pony Clubs Official Photographer and I spent 7 hours walking around taking photographs of the kids, etc. Later that night I felt a bit sick and my back was aching. Went to bed and spent the night tossing and turning, I couldn't get comfortable.
Spent Monday flat on my back.
Now, with my Sciatic pain, veyr little of the pain is in my actual back. It radiates through my right thigh. My right thigh was in such pain, I could barely walk and wound up laying down most of the day. But laying down only serves to hurt the muscles in my back. So I couldn't really win.
That night I was in MASSIVE amounts of pain to the point I was in tears. My thigh was in such horrendous pain, and because I'd spent all day laying down, my back was also in pain. I tried to walk around to ease my back, but walking is what was pinching the nerve so that the thigh hurt. I tried to do stretches, standing on my left leg but it was so painful my leg turned to jelly beneath me and I fell over.
By the time the sun came up, I was in agony. Still trying to walk it off. I walked up to the top of our driveway, which is about 200 metres, by the time I got halfway back down, my back was clamping with pain, my thigh felt like it was being jabbed right through the muscle by a steel rod. I was forced to hobble the rest of the way back to the house, tears running down my face before collapsing back onto my bed.
Tried to phone the doctor once 9:00 rolled up but couldn't get in to see him for another week.
I wound up in such pain I was forced to take the Celebrex.
It took a good 3 hours to kick in at all. And even then, the pain doesn't go completely away. It never has. Maybe 80% of the pain is gone, but I'm still in huge amounts iof discomfort, and it IS still painful.
Midway through the afternoon took the Lyrica.... and again that night took the Lyrica so I could sleep.

It seems I just can't win now.
I lay down to ease the pain in the thigh from the pinched nerve and my BACK muscles hurt.
I walk around to ease the muscle pain and the pinched nerve comes back.
I don't want to be taking these drugs because I'm trying to conceive, but I can't sytand this pain anymore.
Does anyone know what can be done????


I'm kind of freaking out, because I'm exhibiting at the Royal Easter Show on Tuesday next week and I KNOW standing/walking around all day is going to be absolute murder on the pinched sciatica, and its scaring me. I'm already anticipating how much pain I'm going to be in afterwards.

 

[freckleonear]

Would physio help? I have a pinched sciatic nerve as a result of scoliosis so I know how painful it can be. It was also 100 times worse during pregnancy.

 

[thestarsfall]

Get a prescription for physio and get a good physio who does a lot of hands on work and also gives exercise for home, and if you have coverage for massage get that as well. Sciatica is easily treatable in most cases with proper stretching and manual therapies and exercises to prevent it from recurring.

Some things you can do in the meantime are stretches for your glutes shown here and for your hamstrings shown here and with both stretches only go until you feel a gentle stretch, not pain, and hold for a couple of deep breaths.

 

[Happymammy]

I don't know if any of this will help, but you never know...

I suffered from 2 prolapsed disks and sciatic pain down my left leg a few years back. My doctor just gave me lots of different types of painkillers but it got to the stage when I couldn't even put on my own socks & underwear! I have to admit that I did put TTC onhold. I tried physio but found that a chiropractor was better for me and it did help to ease the pain. Eventually, I had a course of steroid injections in my spine (which I don't think is advisable if you are TTC) and was pain free for about 18 months.

I then went back to the chiropractor and luckily, his wife (who is a sports physio) had just set up a 10-week back clinic (UK) which basically focused on strengthening the pelvic floor muscles and stomach muscles, which support your lower back. This worked wonders for me. I have also done pilates and yoga over the last few years (off & on) which help to strengthen that area. I have been about 98% back pain free since then.

Another thing I have tried is massage (not beauty salon massages but serious practitioners). After doing the back clinic I had an all over massage once a month (for a couple of years) and it helped me to stay relaxed and keep my muscles and bones aligned.

When I became pregnant in 2010, I was really worried about the sciatic back pain starting up again. At about 20 weeks I started getting a few 'twinges' so I found a specialist in massage for pregnant ladies. I went every 4 weeks from 20 weeks and didn't suffer from any back pain during the rest of my pregnancy! I honestly can't say if this was definitely because of the massages but I think that they helped... I also went to pregnancy yoga classes, which help you to stay supple (I did do some pelvic floor exercises at home...when I remembered...but I often forgot so the class helped me practice these).

I know that you are probably not feeling up to doing any exercise classes at the moment. But when you are feeling a bit better, it may help you have an easier (back pain free) pregnancy?

Have you told your doctor that you are trying to get pregnant? He might have some ideas that are baby friendly?

GOOD LUCK with curing your back pain and TTC (Don't give up hope, I know how disillusioning it can be but I got there in the end and so can you)